I mention this not to prepare for a thirtieth anniversary observance but because the shooting is not included in the Mother Jones data base of mass shootings in the US since 1980. And why not? Well, here are their criteria:

The shootings occured in a public place. (Except in the
case of a party in Crandon, Wisconsin, and another in Seattle.) Crimes
primarily related to gang activity or armed robbery are not included.

So as an armed robbery this was excluded. Interesting. Does that mean they also dropped some banger-on-banger shootouts and executions from the 1990's drug wars? How many (if any?) and could that explain why overall crime has dropped but there is no obvious trend in mass shootings?

An issue here is that we are trying to grasp whether there is a trend in mass shootings, subject to the concern that it is much easier for people to recall (or Google!) the recent past.

And since my launching point was a NY Times article from 1987 recapping earlier mass shootings, let me add this from the same article:

On Sept. 25, 1982, George E. Banks, a prison guard, killed 13 people in
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. He shot four girlfriends, the five children they bore
him, the mother of one of his girlfriends and one of her children, a
second child of another girlfriend and a man standing on the street. He
was convicted on 13 murder counts on June 21, 1983.

More at Wikipedia and Murderpedia. That is not in the MJ database and I have no idea why not, since they say this about "spree" killers:

We included six so-called "spree killings"—high-profile
cases that fit closely with our above criteria for mass murder, but in
which the killings occurred in more than one location over a short
period of time.

Comments

They also chose the number of victims so as to exclude cases where an armed person was on the scene at the start -- then declared that there was no evidence that having armed people there at the start made any difference.

Mother Jones is not a scientific journal. It is not even an attempt at practicing neutral journalism. It is a propaganda rag from the far, far left. Why it is not treated with the same disgust we'd treat a slick magazine produced by the "Aryan Nation" is a mystery.

The O administration has picked on the wrong people. Nobody knows more about guns than gun people. (I think Clarice pointed that out long ago with gun topics & military topics). The credentialed morons look more stupid than usual.

My Dad was a wildlife biologist & many years ago there was some lawsuit about protecting doves. Anyway, I remember my Dad saying something like - Boy did they pick the wrong bird. We have more data on whitewing dove populations than almost any other bird.

Yesterday local Talk Radio had an interesting discussion that mentioned the Law Of The Sea (LOST) Treaty. The discussion was why were some of the big multi-national Oil Companies supporting the passage of the Treaty.

The plain language answer tossed out was that in the States, the current costs and roadblocks placed in front of the Oil Companies by the EPA, the Salazar's, the Enviro's and the Courts, are so restrictive and costly, that it would be in their best economic self interest to be under a structure like the LOST Treaty which would apparently obviate these US costs and roadblocks that our currently system imposes on them.

It's probably a propaganda site, but this part made sense to me explaining Big Oil:

The agreement also oversees an international tribunal to settle fishing, pollution, and property rights disputes, as well as the International Seabed Authority, a body formed to assign mining rights beyond the EEZs ("exclusive economic zones.")

If the United States approves the treaty, the agreement would include the country with the largest EEZ in the world, while also potentially clearing the way for U.S. oil companies to mine the Arctic Ocean.

Maybe you guys all knew that but I didn't. It did not previously make sense to me why Oil Companies would want to be tied in to a treaty mandating a UN style regulating body until I heard the argument that it would probably be more flexible and easier to deal with than what they are faced with up here currently.

rse, Wiener and his closed systems feedback loops. A lovely proof, yet dangerous when applied to open systems (i.e. anything that occurs in the real / natural world) instead of engineered machines. Funny that these people take the simplification used to get some handle on real world processes -- simple by defining one set of inputs and closing the model to all else -- use classic non-deterministic open systems like evolution and ecology to beat up their straw man cartoon of conservatives.

Well, so much for my renaissance of reloading in New York idea. Apparently they've declared that the components are the same as the assembled thing -- or at least some vendors have decided to err on the safe side. Have heard that a major Internet retailer of shooting supplies has canceled backorders of reloading supplies for NY customers.

henry-funny you should say that. Hubby is an IT sort who writes languages and software and whatever it takes for computers to do what he wants them to do. I showed him the graphic this morning that is being used to run the performance assessments via computer.

He said that's a flow chart. I said yes but it implies people and how we think is a closed system instead of an open one.

So we are all having a similar reaction.

And the truth is that all this spending on behavioral sciences and education now is an attempt to get people to function more or less as closed systems. Quit doing unexpected things that would be creative destruction or disregarding the story line the media or the politicians feed us.

The systems thinking that now permeates education and the EPA for starters was grounded in trying to change what people believed and thus were likely to do as a means to further nuclear disarmament. Then it got perverted into trying to control behavior generally.

(a) Attorneys for the three falsely accused players have indicated they plan to appeal to the Supreme Court the 4th Circuit’s ruling dismissing—before discovery even had begun—their federal civil rights claims against Durham and Durham employees.

and

(b) The latest from the annals of non-accountability: the Mellon Foundation has appointed none other than Richard Brodhead as a trustee, with his position to take effect in March 2013.

and

(c) That the meme that the 3 Duke boys raped what's her name repeatedly is alive and well in the common culture.

rse- please note that my software flowcharts always include a place for humans to deal with exceptions. If it is fully closed and the computer says you are holding a dog when it is obviously a cold six pack, you must report that you are holding a dog or nothing. (The consume some of the six pack as you laugh at the stupid computer). Errors are thus forced into the information flow via the hubris of systems designers. The real world is not closed, man made systems are closed at own risk. Hand you hubby a six pack before sharing this with him. ; )

henry-you sound like him on the rare occasions when he talks about how he does what he does.

He also had each of the kids build a computer from motherboard up so they would get it.

The cybernetics quote was on same page as the hierarchy of mediation. No wonder some of those NRC reports have taken to referring to humans as "socio-technical systems."

CH-yes it is control and papers say so. It is also the mother of all Crony Capitalist schemes as you create an oligarchy of lucratively compensated providers who also get to try to displace anyone's ability to create a better product.

And I always keep the bar stocked. Especially with junior away. A part of me stays numb waiting to hear next.

New York apparently has removed itself from future consideration for the Winter Olympics.

Biathlon, a Winter Olympics sport held and trained for in Lake Placid, New York, uses a specialized rifle with a unique eight-round magazine, now affected under Cuomo’s idiotic “rush to be first” lawmaking. The magazine in question holds five conventionally fed shells, plus three spares in the base of the magazine.

Wonder how long before Remington pulls the plug on their facility in Ilion, NY? Not much left there but it is symbolic. They moved a long time ago to NC.

In fact, every gun or ammo or even accessory manufacturer should pull out of Calififornia, New York and all the other restrictive gun states as a protest. Its the industry who is silent leaving it all up to the NRA, GOOA, and individuals. I even heard interviews with some FFL dealers today and not one was outspoken fearing the Feds, I guess.

That Broadhead story is distressing. Time to close down these foundations.

Standing. Clapping. Cheering.

At the minimum their non-profit status should be revoked. I wish I could remember who coined the dictum that all charities/non-profits that aren't explicitly and irrevocably conservative will, in time, inexorably drift prog-ward.

Watching Golf Channel - the old Bob Hope Classic - now sponsored by Humana and......drum roll......The Clinton Foundation. The fawning, heart-throb adoring chatter from the crew is pretty much over the top considering it was only a few years back that this guy and his wife were doing there best to ruin Humana. But strange bedfellows they do make.

I have emailed the GC that its probably the first time in my memory that a golf channel has been sponsored by a misygonist rapist and world class golf cheat. I doubt I'll get a shout out by Sir Nick Faldo.

My old employer built the NG/ LNG industry in Algeria to the point we got pissed off because we weren't getting paid. But that is not the story here.

In Amenas is a true isolated desert locale and BP and Statoil had security. [are you kidding, in the Mahgreb?] but this was a real fully armed to the teeth raid and well done. Even in the 70's and 80's we anticipated this kind of stuff because of the Algerian and French uncomfotable intersection. But never like this. But BP and Statoil should have.

My first pipeline was built under the professor/dictatorship of one the greats in the business. He was kicked out of Algeria after we built the Hassi el-Mar facility and pipeline by calling out the Minster of Finance for not paying us. He said BS right to the guys face in front of the American ambassador at the time. Brilliant. But we kept him because he was numero uno when it came to big diameter long distance lines. Think Keystone on steroids.

So, ever time I hear of Algeria and gas production and terrorists (like FM who won't pay their bills) I think of John. He died last year RIP buddy.

At Newspaper Row, across from City Hall, Henry Raymond, owner and editor of The New York Times, averted the rioters with Gatling guns, one of which he manned. The mob, instead, attacked the headquarters of abolitionist Horace Greeley's New York Tribune until forced to flee by the Brooklyn Police.

If I read it correctly, some of the hire up Enviro's are intentionally launching lawsuits to squelch our drilling up here, in order to force the Oil Companies to be in favor of the supposedly less burdensome LOST Treaty, yet the Enviro's think the LOST Treaty is their ultimate power tool so it's a Trojan Horse scheme.

Wish my old Brit BP Oil buddy was here to offer some clarity, but he's been off in Africa (hopefully not Algeria) for the last several years and we've lost touch.

Love publix bakery, meats and produce . But they are definitely more expensive than Kroger and their store brands are way inferior to Krogers which is strange as most store brands are produced in the same facilities as the named brands they mimic . When I was consulting at Pillsbury, their line ran two days of Pillsbury brand pie crusts and the rest of the week it was all the different store brands that were run .

Just watched an excellent discussion on FOX Business (Host-Melissa Francis) with Todd Curtiss, Former Boeing Safety Engineer, about the 787's problems. Very controlled and sensible comments. Sorry I can't link it.

But far less than WF Steph that has conveniently been on the way home from at least one kid's school for more than 10 years now. "I just spent how much on baking potatoes?" prompted a big bag yesterday while picking up red's new glasses at costco. Plus osso buco that I just put in not knowing how late tryouts will be.

Our high last Saturday was 73. This Saturday it will maybe break 50, maybe. Definitely not gonna be sporting a golf skirt again tomorrow or this weekend . Thank heaven for cart heaters and covers . Unfortunately the heater sits in a drink holder so my partner is gonna have to find somewhere else for her beer . ;)

It is interesting reading the accounts. Apparently the Police were unable to quell the riots, and relief had to wait until the arrival of Federal Troops 3 days later:

From wiki: the New York City Police Department was the only force to try to suppress the riots. The police superintendent, John A. Kennedy, arrived at the site on Monday to check on the situation. Although not in uniform, he was recognized by people in the mob who attacked him. Kennedy was left nearly unconscious, having had his face bruised and cut, his eye injured, lips swollen, and his hand cut with a knife; he was beaten to a mass of bruises and blood all over his body. Police drew their clubs and revolvers, and charged the crowd, but were overpowered. The police forces were badly outnumbered and unable to quell the riots;...

The most reliable estimates indicate that at least 2,000 people were injured. Herbert Asbury, the author of the 1928 book Gangs of New York, upon which the 2002 film was based, puts the figure much higher, at 2,000 killed and 8,000 wounded,[22] but this figure is not widely accepted and is considered myth.[23] Total property damage was about $1–5 million ($15 – $75 million in 2011, adjusted for inflation).

If a Teacher can successfully sue over her Phobia of kids, makes me wonder what else we could sue for.

Pilots suing because they're afraid of flying?
Math-teachers suing because they're afraid of the number 13?
Maybe an Islamic chick could get hired as a stripper, then sue because of a phobia of taking off her Bhurka.

They just rebuilt the Publix here on Longboat Key and woo woo, it's really fine. Found a lot of specialty things that are hard to find at the brand new Safeway near home and almost as attractively laid out as WH but less $$$$

When visiting Texas, I fell in love with Central Market, especially their muffins. I think the WF daughter started them and they try to use mainly Texas produce. Went to the one in Southlake. Here in Jersey, I'm fickle. Sometimes Shoprite, sometimes Stop 'N Shop, sometimes Trader Joes. Had to come out of lurking for this important topic. Guns and finance aren't exactly my strongpoints, although I'm learning!

JiB , there are no Kroger's near me and I haven't been in one in years, before supermarkets became high calss food emporia. Too far for me to commute, there's a big Wegman's which I understand is the king of supermarkets.

My mom swears by Sam's Club meats but I refuse to join a club as I spend more in the junk aisles than I save. That 36 bar pack of Mars bars...it calls to me . Then K has to have kitkats and the hubby can't be left out and poof it's cheaper to eat out .

the nearest trader Joe's isn't near enough and traffic sucks . We do have an Aldi near here, but I've never tried them .

I do make a run occasionally to the Dekalb farmers market, but I always get more than we ever eat and end up throwing stuff away . Thirty varieties of apples and of course you have to get some of the new ones to try.

When we were in Ann Arbor we had the "ghetto" Krogers around the corner from our student apartment, but on special occasions would head out Geddes Road to the "suburban" Krogers that was clean(!) and had decent produce.

Now I live in Harris Teeter land. WF, Earth Fare and Trader Joe's all nearby. Costo for staples--and great big bags of avacados!

I love Costco. Steph, here's the trick to buying in big box stores and saving money:Buy one of those vacuum sealers for your food. Thhese days they are not that expensive. Repackage everything into sizes you can use and freeze what you won't be eating soon. About 2 weeks ago, the big deal was pork crown roasts..they were divine and about $3 a lb. You could cut them into individual chops or a few small roasts if you didn't need a whole one.
Also they have many thins in packages where the product is individually wrapped. Costco has first rate wild salmon filets and tune,